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Maria Zografou was born in Krasi in 1909. She took her first painting lessons under painter Loukas Geralis in Athens. She then studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts. Following her graduation in 1929, she returned to Heraklion.

She was appointed Art Teacher to the girls’ high school. At the same time, she produced icon painting. In the 1920s, she was commissioned with the creation of portable icons for churches in her place of birth (Church of the Transfiguration of Christ/Metamorphosis tou Sotiros and Church of Saint Paraskevi) and for the metropolitan church of Saint Minas in Heraklion. She probably worked on that project until her death.

She held her first solo exhibition in Heraklion in the 1930s and she also participated in group exhibitions in Heraklion and Athens, at Parnassos Literary Society, where she received an award for her work. During the German Occupation she volunteered in the Red Cross. She died in 1959 at the age of 50, while working on her third solo exhibition. At her request, some of her works were sold and the proceeds were sent to charities.